Eva Calvo has a brilliant career in taekwondo, (European Champion, Olympic and world runner-up) and, at the same time, she has not renounced to her other passion: computer engineering. At UCAM, she is making her dream come true without sacrificing her competitive pace. The athlete from Madrid is an example of the athlete-student model of the UCAM-COE project, and she is yet another proof of the fact that engineering, in general, and computer science, more specifically, are studied by an increasing number of women.

Why did you choose the Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering?

Ever since I was a girl, I loved science. Before, I studied Mathematics and, for one year, I studied Telematics. Computer Science has an important application and it useful in all the fields that I have always liked. I have never considered the fact that this career is associated to men, but it is true that the majority of my colleagues are males. Computer Science seems very interesting and I hope that I will be able to devote my time to it in the future.

How is your experience with UCAM so far?

UCAM marked a turning point in my academic and sport careers. For me, it was impossible to study with a face-to-face mode, to follow the pace of my classes and take notes. I was always asking my friends to lend me their notes. There were also many problems with the competitions, and some teachers refused to adapt the dates of my exams. Nevertheless, as soon as I arrived to UCAM, I felt incredibly calm knowing that the teaching staff understands it perfectly. I always have my notes available and I take them with me to competitions and trainings. I recommend this university to any athlete who wants to balance his/her dedication with academic life.

How do you see your future after being an athlete?

One the one hand, I would like to always be linked to sports but, on the other hand, I like Computer Science a lot. Now that I have progressed in my career, I see very interesting things and I confirm that I took the right decision when I chose it. I would like to devote my time to it in the future.

What are you sports aims?

This year, many tough competitions are going to take place. We have the Olympic Games, of course, and also the European Championship in April and the World Championship in October. Furthermore, there will be international open competitions in between and I will participate whenever I get the chance. We are at full force and waiting for new championships.

How long is the way to go to achieve women’s equality in sports?

Ever since I have been practising taekwondo, we have enjoyed full equality. I do not know how things used to be in the past, but the years I have spent practising this martial art have been like this. Man and females train together, we compete together and we receive the same kind of aids. A field where I believe improvement could be achieved is the visibility we get. In that field, sometimes, there are some differences. Taekwondo has a lot to give to society, and we have been demonstrating this for years. Equality is possible in taekwondo and computer science.